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By coolsheet Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:25 pm
Hello,

Last time I made a beat was in 2011 when my studio was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. SO I've been out the game awhile. We had a 4000 and a 1000 then, would make all beats on the unit (obviously with an added internal drive), and then record into pro tools to track out. Don't remember exactly what we did here, but I do remember we got a cleaner sound not using the automated way of doing it and recording track by track into protools.

Obviously making a beat was a grueling process. I'm not trying to enter a new grueling process.

Also, I want to have flexibility. Meaning if I need to take the stand alone unit to the studio I want to be able to do that.

So as Im setting everything up, tons of questions are coming to mind. The main thing is I want everything to be seamless as much as possible and work for me, not make me work for it.

Before my questions all give some bullets on what my ideal setup may look like with equipment I have.

iMac
MPC X
Midi Keyboard
VST Plugins

Outside of effects, reverbs, etc etc I won't be using any vst's on the MPC. I like to have more control over the notes and chords with a midi keyboard.

OK NOW FOR MY QUESTIONS

1. It seems as though production could be streamlined much more efficiently by tracking out into the MPC software as I make the beat. But eventually want to get into using other VST plugins such as Arcade for example. With VSTs and effects, I'm assuming the best way to do this would be to run through the MPC software? Obviously where the answer would be a no is if there's a better way to track out live as your making the beat.
2. So with that in mind, and considering I want to have the flexibility of using it as a stand alone unit, I want to make sure my assumption of the best way to set this up is the most practical. Use the software to sequence and the unit as a midi controller. Get an external hard drive I only use for the MPC X if I need to take it to another studio. Open to comments here. Is it the most practical?
3. I cant for the life of me figure out how to get my expansions on to the stand alone unit. I can see them in the software.
4. VSTs that came with the MPC X. I have no idea how to access these in the stand alone unit. I think they're in the computer. I've downloaded and activated with the code but tried to locate the VST to load it on my computer and couldn't find an actual application file, only the authorization. I'm assuming it's because the VST only works with the MPC software? THat doesn't reall make sense to me, but again I'm 10 years new.

I know I have more questions but thats all I can think of right now. Thanks in advance!
User avatar
By NearTao Fri Sep 24, 2021 5:18 pm
You're probably better off watching YouTube videos of how people are working in the new MPC line. You can absolutely do what you're looking for, but you've got me concerned about the 'no grueling process' part. I mean... a lot of this is really straight forward once you know what you're doing... but you're going to have to put some time in to determine what works best for you, it will be hard for a lot of us to just outline a process for you without knowing what you're trying to do case by case.

1. This is a big maybe... it sounds like you want a DAW, and in controller mode you can stream out a lot of tracks at a time (I think 32, but I don't work this way... so not sure)... or if you're on the MPC Live you can do 6 tracks, or MPC X can do 8 tracks at a time... but the USB audio interface into the MPC One/X/Live does bring in some new opportunities... just no experience for me here with he USB interface...
2. I'm not sure why you want to use the MPC in standalone also with the MPC Software... seems counter intuitive to me... but maybe you mean some other software?
3. You need to export the expansions to a drive... USB, SD, or something else... it's in the software that you do this.
4. The VSTs can only run from your computer... so to access them from the MPC X you need some kind of DAW that can load the VSTs and then you can either control them through the software or send midi from the MPC to the DAW.
By sl23 Sat Jun 04, 2022 1:31 pm
I've just purchased an MPC Live 2 after returning the Roland Fantom due to lack of USB MIDI control. I'm wondering if I've made the wrong choice again here!
I wanted a Hardware Sampler, but I also wanted to use the pads to control VST's, play notes and map the Q-Link knobs to VST parameters. I'm not talking about instruments on the Live 2 or in the MPC Software, just in case there's some confusion.

My DAW is MuLab, I DO NOT want to be FORCED to use the MPC Software, I Have my own DAW I don't see why I should have to use another just to control a VST plugin via the Live 2! but I can't find any info on how to get it working. Please can someone help???

Thanks
By sl23 Mon Jun 06, 2022 8:48 pm
It seems to me to be another clone of Apple. A company wanting to be as closed source as possible to capture an audience with their gimmicks, while not allowing interaction with other software other than VST's, which represent no damage to their own branded products.

Trust me, I WANT to like this thing, but I just don't get why these big company's are making music production more difficult by limiting what their products do. The Fantom doesn't interact with VST's via it's so called 'EDIT' knobs, now I find that the MPC can't be connected to a PC without using it's very own branded DAW consuming resources when I don't want to use that. WTF?

Don't know what I bought? Maybe that's because it's not actually reviewed in a way that actually explains what this is?
From what I can see of this device, it isn't that bad but it seems very limited in it's ability to connect to a PC and control VST's! What, you mean I shouldn't expect that from a £900 piece of MIDI hardware??? Even a poorly designed electribe can be connected to a PC and it's knobs mapped to whatever VST you choose.

Genuinely, I ask, why is connectivity being sacrificed?
By mpc_fan_2022 Tue Jun 07, 2022 8:01 am
sl23 wrote: What, you mean I shouldn't expect that from a £900 piece of MIDI hardware??? Even a poorly designed electribe can be connected to a PC and it's knobs mapped to whatever VST you choose.


Keep using that stupid logic and you'll have nobody but yourself to blame each time you make a bad purchase.

It's your money though, so nobody's problem but yours. AKAI didn't promise anything to you or advertised whatever. You made a purchase while being willfully ignorant about the device you bought, your entire complain rings hollow.

function you want, and it isn't an Electribe.
By sl23 Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:48 am
Very true.

But when you buy a car, you don't think to ask if the handbrake is included do you? And you shouldn't have to.

Midi control via USB has been standard for around a decade now, why would i think it wouldn't be on this device?

It's quite astounding that people think that's ok!

Suppose I'll think about whether this is worth keeping now too. Cos so far it's not much good other than being a self contained groove ox! Not even that easy to use. So many improvements needed, some just too obvious.

I do like the concept though and it has some damn fine drum samples too. It's definitely a great bit of kit, just a shame about its shortcomings.

No offence meant, these are just my opinions 8)
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By NearTao Tue Jun 07, 2022 1:37 pm
sl23 wrote:
NearTao wrote:It sounds like you don't know what you bought.

So, explain what you mean...


I mean that it sounds like you bought an expensive piece of hardware without knowing or understanding how it works, and just assumed it behaved a certain way. You said you've already returned the Fantom because it didn't do what you want, and now you're prepared to do the same with the MPC X. I get you are frustrated, but instead of taking the help anybody in here has provided, you've instead decided to take what appears to be a stance of blaming forum members. You can do what you want, but I suspect that most people are going to decide to not provide further help while you respond in this manner.

You absolutely can control VSTs within a DAW, without using the MPC Software, and using the Pads and Q-Links on the MPC to send Midi data. One option would be to have the MPC in standalone mode, and configure a Track to MIDI, set the appropriate output and channel, and have the DAW listen on the appropriate MIDI interface and route the signals to MIDI.

Good luck.
By sl23 Tue Jun 07, 2022 7:18 pm
Well, until you actually get a piece of hardware, how are you supposed to know what you've bought? You cannot know exactly what you've bought until you've got the thing at home and are trying it out in your own environment. It's like trying a pair of speakers in a shop, pointless!

Believe me, I do my research before shelling out for something, but, as I said, basic stuff like using hardware to control software shouldn't need to be enquired about in this day and age. Well, least you'd think so with everything becoming more connected anyway, seems I'm wrong, obviously.

Sorry, frustrated, yes, taking it out on forum members no, though the responses I got weren't exactly friendly, I respond in kind. I treat others the way I am treated. My frustrations are directed towards the companies that make this stuff. Why would I take that out on forum members? That helps no one. I know my ways are an enigma to most people, and nearly always taken offensively, but that is not my way.

Everything I say is with respect to the people reading this. I am annoyed, yes, because I bought this unit and being pretty tech savvy, it still took me around 3 days of reading the manual, mpc-bible and searching this site and online, just to figure out how this thing works. Again, no disrespect, but shouldn't things be getting easier to use rather than being an obstruction? I know you guys are probably mpc stalwarts and this I understand, I just don't understand why these companies don't make their products easier to use. Sorry for sharing my opinion, but it is just that.

After all that searching, I found no reference on how to use the mpc without it's software counterpart or how to use the mpc with VST's. Thank you for your kind instructions and please forgive my ignorance and my ways. Any offence was wholly unintentional. I've just gotten so impatient trying to get this thing to work with my PC!!!

I cannot set my MPC to control VST's without being in Controller mode and launching the Software. The MPC just keeps trying to check for the software if I don't start the MPC Software and the screen stays red with the box stating Standalone in it. Is this because I'm changing it to Controller mode and shouldn't?

How do I get it to connect? Do I need to change to Controller Mode, or leave it in Standalone mode? See, this is a good example, this shouldn't even have to be asked, it should just work! But I can find no information anywhere about this stuff! Sorry for my frustration, I have spent a LOT of time trying to figure this out!!

Ok so I now realise you are talking about MIDI Outputs and NOT USB. Which was my grievance. So I take it there is no way to do this over USB? Ah s**t! This was my point in the first place, so annoying that I have to have another cable plugged in! Is there any chance this will be remedied in a future update? I really hope so, cos despite the MPC being a steep learning curve, least for me it is, it is definitely a great bit of kit!
Last edited by sl23 on Tue Jun 07, 2022 7:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.